Ruby Tuesday

Just a little something from the archives.  I think this is from Christmas 2008.  It was taken on the town square.

Skywatch Friday Thoughts

Tuesday afternoon was gorgeous, so I took some time off and we took the boat out for her maiden voyage.  WOW!  That was fun.  The temperature was in the mid-seventies.  There was a nice breeze, and, as you can see, the sky was beautiful.  The water was clear and almost no one was on the lake...just the way I like it.  Everything about the boat performed perfectly.  I tried out the fish locator, the live wells, the trolling motor.  We even put the cover on, just for practice.  I can honestly tell you, I am LOVING this boat.  The ride is amazing and the seats are the most comfortable that I have ever sat in.
Next week we will be on vacation in Destin, FL.  We have rented a condo with my Brother-in-law and Sister -in-law.  I will have a Ruby Tuesday and possible a Wordless Wednesday scheduled to post.  But, I doubt I will get around to doing a Friday post.  Have a great week, and I'll see you back here right after Memorial Day.
Moving right along, it's now time for the inspirational song of the week.  Monday night the Men's Ministry at our church sponsored a Men and Boys event.  Special guests were fishing pro, Hank Parker and Christian singer/songwriter, Russ Lee.  It was a wonderful, inspirational evening.  Both men have truly amazing testimonies.  Russ is the lead singer for NewSong, a group that I have enjoyed for many years.  So, departing from the normal southern gospel selection, I give you Russ Lee and "Love Is A Cross."  Enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday

Enough Said

Ruby Tuesday

Driller's Ruby Red new toy!

A Night of Southern Gospel Music

ast night my wife and I went to the  1st  Annual Brumley Music Fest in Bentonville, AR.  If you visit this blog very often, you already know that I am a fan of Southern Gospel music.  There were three groups that I really wanted to see, Karen Peck/New River, The Dove Brothers, and Brian Free/Assurance.  They did not disappoint.  The venue was the high school gym, which made acoustics a major issue.  However, it was still a good evening of gospel music.  Here are samples of what we heard last night.  Enjoy.

Karen Peck and New River opened the concert. Her voice is a little more country than some, but the harmony of this group is great and the message in the music is clear.



The Dove Brothers were the third group to appear last night. They are a little more traditional Southern Gospel quartet. They have a great base singer.



The final group of the night was Brian Free and Assurance. These guys are simply wonderful. They are in my top five favorite groups. Enjoy.

SkyWatch Friday Thoughts

http://skyley.blogspot.com/

 Stormy Weather

The weather this week has been unpredictable, with storms coming and going...kind of like life. And, just like life, when the storm passes, we have great appreciation for the calm, clear, fresh air that follows.  It is like a new beginning.  I believe that our most recent 'life storm" is about over and the skies are clearing.  In fact, I believe that "I Saw the Light".  Enjoy!  Have a great week-end.

Ruby Tuesday - Thirty-six Years and Counting

Well, this is NOT a typical Ruby Tuesday post, as you can see, but there's just enough red in the photo to qualify.  Tuesday, May 11, is our thirty-sixth wedding anniversary.

Words cannot begin to express how fortunate that I am to have married the woman at my side.  She is everything to me, and without her, I am nothing.  A couple of years ago I posted "What's The Secret."  How do you stay married thirty-something years.  It is no secret.  It works like this.

So what's the secret to being married for thirty-six years and looking forward to celebrating number fifty one day? All I can tell you is that our marriage is centered around our faith and that the message from God's Word is critical to the happiness that each of us enjoys.

First of all, God loves us and everything He does for us is for our benefit. He created the institution of marriage to be enjoyed by a man and a woman and to bring each of them happiness. The Bible tells us that God loved us so much that He gave His Son to die on a cross for us so that we might, through faith, have eternal live. Christ tells the husband that he is to love his wife with the same love that Christ loves the church and gave himself for that church (Ephesians 5:25). If I love my wife with that kind of love, then everything I do, I do because I love her and I want her to be happy. I want her to be pleased with this relationship. I want my Lord to be pleased with me as a man who loves his wife and realizes that his wife is a gift from God created especially for me and for my happiness.
Secondly, marriage is a partnership. Like any relationship, it takes work to maintain that relationship in peak condition. A happy marriage doesn't "just happen". Both of us are committed to the relationship and to each other because we love one another and it is our desire that our partner be happy in this relationship. No major decision in this relationship is made without prayer and conversation. God is not the author of confusion, therefore He will not give my wife a different answer to an issue than the one that He gives me. Again, God created the institution of marriage for our benefit, not for our demise.
Finally, I married a woman far better than I deserve. I thank my Lord and Savior for her every day. My wife is the most thoughtful, caring and giving person that I know. Proverbs 31:10-12 says, "An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." I have found that woman. Proverbs 31:25-30 further states, "Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and teaching of kindness is on her toungue. She looks well to the ways of her houselold, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying: Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." I married such a woman.
So, back to the original question, "What's the Secret?" The answer is, you have to give yourself to the marriage. You have to give yourself to your spouse. Whatever you have within you, you have to "Give it Away."